subject: Rockport Shoes Company [print this page] Rockport Shoes Company Rockport Shoes Company
The Rockport shoe company has been around since 1971 after being founded by Bruce Katz with his son, Saul. Unlike any other shoe company, Rockport shoes were sold out of the back of the family van, but quickly grew! Rockport shoe company was the first shoe company to use advanced materials and technologies in their footwear designs to create traditional shoes that were at the cutting edge of both fashion and shoe technology. Rockport shoes took the market by storm, engineering walking comfort in all types of shoes, both mens shoes and womens shoes, and Rockport boots, leading to a fast growing Rockport fan base. This amazing comfort was derived from the new cutting-edge lightweight shoes that Rockport produced.
Rockport Shoe company is based in Canton, Massachusetts, but Rockport Shoes were originally founded in Marlborough, before being purchased in 1985 by Reebok, one of the world's largest footwear and sports clothing giants, now a subsidary of German shoe company Adidas. As a result, Rockport Shoe Company has had a very distinguished history and background, going from strength to strength in a relatively small period of time, and gained success originally by designing and manufacturing premium shoes and boots for both men and women, that were distributed via independent shoe stores, boot specialists and department stores. The quality and innovation that Rockport shoes brought to the market means that they are still a core competency today.
Notable Rockport Shoe Company Achievements:
As an innovative and forward thinking shoe manufacturer, Rockport company worked hard to establish themselves on the map, and they were quickly rewarded in 1984 as Rockport became the first shoe company to receive the American Podiatric Medical Association's Seal of Acceptance. Rockport built on this by sending a single man on a walking trip covering 50 US states to educate and inform Americans on overall health benefits of walking The 50/50 Walk for the Health of it, obviously wearing Rockport shoes.
A year later, Rockport company put out the first biomechanically designed walking shoe called the ProWalker. Rockport shoe company themselves publish a book called Rockport's Fitness Walking', again focused on the health benefits of fitness walking.
Reebok snapped up the company in 1986 after it's acclaimed success, their first acquisition. Rockport established the Rockport Walking Institute, an organisation founded to educate the general public about the benefits of walking. This was accompanied by the Rockport Fitness Walking Test, one of the first self-tests to determine cardiovascular fitness levels in individuals.
In 1987, Rockport shoes and Rockport boots were being distributed internationally, and by 1994, Rockport shoes feature in over 30 countries.
What kind of mens and womens shoes do Rockport make?
Nowadays, Rockport shoes is still a strong shoe company that is part of a global brand.
Many of their strong shoe lines still exist, namely Rockport boat shoes, sandals, Rockport boots, walking shoes, and even some deck shoes. Rockport Shoe Company prices range from around $40 up to around $160-$180 for high quality Rockport boots.
Notable features of Rockport Shoe Company:
Rockport shoes have been worn in marathons.
Rockport company shoes have been worn by mountain climbers, including some who have conquered Mount Kilamanjaro.
Rockport boat shoes are the official shoes for the Whitbread Round the World' boat race.
Rockport boots are becoming more well known.
Another feature of Rockport Shoe company excellence is the Rockport shoe features themselves:
Over 97% of Rockport's shoe line offers removable insoles for those who wear orthotics or shoe inserts.
Rockport's XCS line of shoes and boots were designed specifically to give high performance in extreme outdoor conditions.